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bilwit wrote:
God he needs to be slapped. It's a disservice to the yellow jersey if he doesn't FIGHT FOR IT. The DS also confirmed that the plan is still to setup Froome for the win

I would classify going up Alpe d'Huez in under 40 minutes (and being first over the line in a group of world's fastest), as "fighting for it".

But, Thomas is just a stand in for Froome in the yellow jersey. 15 minutes after a stage as Thomas is receiving his flowers and a yellow jersey, where is Froome? Most likely laid down enjoying his massage.

bilwit wrote:
God he needs to be slapped. It's a disservice to the yellow jersey if he doesn't FIGHT FOR IT. The DS also confirmed that the plan is still to setup Froome for the win

I would classify going up Alpe d'Huez in under 40 minutes (and being first over the line in a group of world's fastest), as "fighting for it".

But, Thomas is just a stand in for Froome in the yellow jersey. 15 minutes after a stage as Thomas is receiving his flowers and a yellow jersey, where is Froome? Most likely laid down enjoying his massage.

I think what he means with fighting for it, is not sticking on Tom's wheel but ride with Tom to distance Froome. Now he just joined Tom every attack and then said no sorry can't work.

Other than the fact that he pulled for Froome after Bernal dropped off during Bardet's attack, he's said publicly, on camera, in pure plainspeak after the stage, that he is there to work for Froome and that Froome is the leader. That tells me he will not fight for the jersey when it comes to it.

I think it might end up being more complex than that however. Froome is clearly fatigued, he couldn't make his attack stick and he didn't have a sprint at the end of the stage. On the other hand Froome is a proven three week GT racer but Thomas isn't and could have jour sans any day of the race.

- imo the booing isn't classy but today it seems that Froome was afraid to attack before the barriers started. it's a shame it influences the racing, let alone if people crash out due to spectators being idiots with smoke bombs etc. Steven Rooks said on Dutch TV the booing is a French thing. He should read the tweets/replies on Thijs Zonneveld twitter account (Dutch journalist/ex pro)...
- on The Move podcast, Johan Bruyneel said Quintana and Landa were probably not happy to attack but we're instructed to by the DS regardless of having the legs.
- The +41 min time on the Alp was due to: headwind, heat, 5000m of climbing, 3rd days in the Alps and most of all sitting up in the last 3km which cost about a minute ( Landa and Nibbling came back)

I think it might end up being more complex than that however. Froome is clearly fatigued, he couldn't make his attack stick and he didn't have a sprint at the end of the stage. On the other hand Froome is a proven three week GT racer but Thomas isn't and could have jour sans any day of the race.

The final ascent to Mende will be an interestng test before Pyrenees.

didn't stop him from roflstomping everyone at the Vuelta last year and having a miraculous comeback at the Giro this year, how could you doubt him?

Yep. Not a huge Froome or Sky fan, but I want a fair contest. If Froome wins or loses, I want it to be because he was a better or worse bike racer across 21 stages. Not because he gets clipped by a race moto or some drunk/crazed “fan”.

Also, CyclingNews collected a couple of fan Twitter videos - was 100% spectators, not a moto. There's a group in red with some massive flags on poles, they're also hanging a couple of smaller flags and things at waist height and one of them either goes in his spokes or snags the handlebars.

Alpe d'Huez is out of control. Like the guy deciding he wanted hundreds of meters worth of video of himself running alongside Kruijswijk and smashing other spectators out of the way so he could do it. Should be a questionnaire to gain entry - do you want to watch the bikerace or do you just wanna be the star of your own Instagram story? (To be recycled ad nauseum for the next 6 months - "TBT to the time that guy in lycra punched me in the face 'cos I was screaming in his ear for two whole hairpins" )

And since when were G and Froome not amongst the world’s best climbers?

Is it 1999 since you watched any racing?

They are donkeys that became race horses. First Wiggins who was a late 20 something second tier TT type guy who suddenly became a world class climber. Then Froome who wasn`t even cutting it as a domestique and got thrown out of the Giro for cheating. Suddenly in his late 20s he got asthma and discovered he hade a blood disease all his life and he actually was a multiple GT winner. Froome before Vuelta 2011 was a bum and G was a second tier classics rider who became world beating climber at the age of 32. You must eat fish and chips and have bad teeth to believe in that story.

I want to believe goddamit u wankers!

Last edited by Snabb on Thu Jul 19, 2018 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.